Illinois has just made history by being the first state in the United States to pass a law that protects children who are influencers or appear in their parents’ social media content. This new legislation ensures that child influencers are fairly compensated for their work on social media platforms.
The law states that influencers under the age of 16 are entitled to a percentage of earnings based on their appearance in videos or online content that generates at least 10 cents per view. This law applies to content created in Illinois and requires children to be featured in at least 30% of the content over a 30-day period.
Vloggers are now responsible for maintaining records of children’s appearances and must set aside their gross earnings in a trust account. The children can access this money when they reach 18 years old. If vloggers fail to do so, the child can take legal action.
The inspiration behind this legislation came from a 15-year-old girl named Shreya Nallamothu. She expressed concerns about the well-being of children in the online world and reached out to State Senator David Koehler Peoria with her idea. Senator Koehler later proposed the legislation, which was passed unanimously in March and signed into law on August 11. It will go into effect on July 1, 2024.
According to Senator Koehler, the rise of social media has provided new opportunities for children to earn a profit. However, many parents have been taking advantage of this situation by keeping the money themselves and making their children work in the digital world.
This law aims to address this issue and ensure that child influencers receive fair compensation for their work. Currently, there are no laws in the United States that protect child influencers or children whose parents profit from posting them online. This legislation in Illinois sets a precedent and may encourage other states to follow suit.
It is worth noting that many states already have laws in place that require parents to set aside earnings for child entertainers in more traditional settings, such as movies and television. However, Illinois is the first state to specifically address the protection of children featured on social media.
This step is significant and shows a growing concern for the well-being of child influencers. It is hoped that this law will bring more awareness to the issue and encourage other states to adopt similar measures.